Pea Soup Andersen’s Inspired Slow Cooker Pea Soup

It’s getting colder each day here in New York — you know what that means:  Perfect soup weather!  It’s our favorite thing to eat this time of year.

Jamie’s favorite soup – vegetable soup with alphabet pasta – inspired me to write and illustrate Soup Day.

The recipe is at the end of the story.

Other tasty soups to warm you in cold weather:

French Onion Soup

Roasted Tomato Soup

Creamy Green Soup

Butternut Squash Harvest Soup

Last week I was going through our pantry to collect food to donate to areas in our neighborhood which had been had been hit hard by the hurricane.  Among the things I came across was a half filled container of dried peas. I had no idea which presidential administration they were from– perhaps the Clinton era?  I decided to risk it and try to make some pea soup in my slow cooker.
A lot of recipes I came across called for a ham hock thrown in, but I was too busy to go on a hunt for one, so I used 1/2 cup chopped apple smoked cured nitrite free bacon from Trader Joe’s.  It was about 4 slices, and I trimmed off the excess fat.

I based my recipe on this one, because it mentioned Pea Soup Andersen’s - a beloved roadside restaurant in the Central Coast of California where I am from.

Jamie and I posing as Happea and Pea-wee in the parking lot.

It didn’t call for ham hock or bacon, but I decided to throw in some bacon just the same.  I also used 4 cups of chicken broth and 2 cups of water instead of all water, and I decided to cook it in my slow cooker instead of on the stove.

The resulting soup was smoky, flavorful, and creamy — just as good as its inspiration!  The amount of dried peas I used cost about $.75, so the whole batch cost about $3.25!  It made about ten generous portions, half of which I have stored in our freezer for future winter days.

If you are ever on the Central Coast, though, tootling along the 101, do stop by and check out Pea Soup Andersen’s.  It’s not just the soup and sharp cheddar sold there that are  great — the whole atmosphere of the restaurant and gift shop is unique.  Just a few miles away is Solvang, a town filled with restaurants, toy stores, bakeries, and gift shops built in the traditional Danish style of architecture.  It is kind of like walking into part of an amusement park–kitschy but cute.  (I think it is the reason why I never had a phobia of dentists — my childhood dentist had a practice there and I loved visiting all the gift stores and eating Ebleskevers afterwards!) 

Pea Soup Andersen’s Inspired Slow Cooker Pea Soup

4 slices smoked bacon trimmed of fat and chopped up, about ½ cup

2 cups dried peas, rinsed and cleared of debris

4 cups chicken broth

2 cups water

1 celery rib, chopped

1 medium carrot, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 bay leaf

¼  teaspoon dried thyme

salt

pepper to taste

1. Pour everything into slow cooker.  Cook on low for about 8-10 hours or high for about 6-8 hours.  Check to see how soft the peas are.  I cooked mine for low on 2 hours, but they didn’t seem to be getting soft and I knew they were really old!  So I cooked them on high for the next 4 hours.
2. Remove bay leaf.  Puree soup in batches in blender until smooth (only fill blender half-way and leave an open vent at the top, either covering with a towel or using a lid with a vent – alternatively, use an immersion blender instead!).  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Reheat and serve.

Makes at least 10 generous servings.
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Amaretto Cream Crepe Cake

About 20 layers of crepes in here…

 

We visited Jamie’s grandparents again for Labor Day weekend.

On the way to the beach during my daily three mile walk on the island.

The weather was beautiful, and we had such a wonderful time with them!

We love having dinner together on the porch and playing word games while we eat, like I Spy, Pass Around (everyone takes turns making up and continuing a story), and Rhyme Around (we tell part of a story and give the next person a hint of the rhyme — OK, this one is tricky!)

This time I got to make a couple of meals during our visit.  They requested the Roasted Veggie and Brie Frittata again, which is so easy and wonderful to make with fresh local produce.  For dessert, I made an Amaretto Cream Crepe Cake.

Crepe cakes look impressive, but they really aren’t difficult to make — they just take a bit of preparation.  Basically you make a boatload of crepes, layer them with ganache, preserves, whipped cream, or whatever you can dream up, then frost with your choice of toppings.

I’ve made this beautiful one in the past which is covered in ganache, layered with ganache and raspberry jam,  and decorated with truffles from the leftover chocolate.  My husband loved it, but I thought it was too dense and rich.  So I decided to make a whipped cream covered one.  I opted to spike the cream with almond extract and Amaretto because my mother-in-law loves Amaretto, and they happened to have a huge bottle of it in the pantry!   I decorated the whole thing with roasted, sliced almonds.

The finished cake with toasted almonds.

When I told my father-in-law I might post the recipe on this blog, he said I should call it “What to Make Your In-laws When You Visit”. 

Thank you, Didi and Mimette for another lovely time!

Amaretto Cream Crepe Cake

Crepes:

6 large eggs

1 ½ cups milk

½ teaspoon almond extract

1 cup all purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

¼ cup confectioner’s sugar

Melted butter for skillet

Amaretto Cream:

2 cups heavy whipping cream

3 ½ tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon almond extract

2 tablespoons amaretto liqueur

½ cup toasted, sliced almonds

1. Blend crepe ingredients except butter in a blender.  Brush a large skillet with melted butter and place over medium heat.  Pour scant ¼ cup batter into skillet and swirl to evenly coat the bottom.  When the top of the crepe is no longer shiny, after about 1 minute, carefuly flip and cook other side for about 40 seconds.
2. Make many more crepes in this manner, stacking them on a plate until all the batter is gone.  Cool crepes to room temperature. You can also store them in the refrigerator until ready to assemble.
3. Make Amaretto Cream.  Whip cream and sugar together until thickened.  Add almond extract and amaretto gradually.  Continue to whip until stiff peaks form.  You can also store the cream in the refrigerator until you are ready to assemble the cake.
4. Assemble Crepe Cake.  Line a 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper on the bottom.  Reserve about ½ of the amaretto cream, set aside.  With the remaining cream, build cake in the following manner:  Spread a dollop of amaretto cream on a crepe and place into cake pan.  Continue to spread crepe with cream and layer in pan in this manner.  When you get to the last crepe, place on top of layers in pan without spreading cream on top (because you are going to flip it and it will be on the bottom of the cake).   Press gently on top of the layers to smooth out (you will probably have a dome shaped cake).  Chill in the refrigerator for about an hour.  You could probably even make the cake up to here the day before serving.  Note:  I’ve seen other methods where you just stack the crepes on a plate and call it a day, so it’s your choice.  I think you get a better shape with the cake pan though. 
5. Remove cake from the pan by cutting around perimeter to loosen.  Then place a large plate on top and flip cake out of pan onto plate.  Frost with remaining amaretto cream and decorate with sliced almonds.

Legoland California and Sweet and Sour Chicken

Apologies for the hiatus.  We were in Times Square this time last week:

Lego Times Square

Also here:

I had planned to post while in California, but I got hit with a *major* (sweat) deadline right before leaving, so all my “free time” was spent working on that. With the job, plus an amazing book event in my hometown, seeing old friends, meeting new ones, visiting Legoland, and all the requisite driving in between — I barely had time to sleep!

As soon as we landed, we rented a car and buzzed up the California coast to my home town, Lompoc.

Truck stop off the 101. Didn't get to see friends in Los Angeles and San Diego -- hopefully next time! Took pictures here for research for next book project...TBA!

The next day I had an amazing book event at The Bookstore.  So many old friends I grew up with, and friends and teachers from elementary and high school showed up!  (Did I mention that my mom is my best publicist?)

My friend, Joy, from high school, picked up a copy

The highlight was seeing my 6th grade teacher, Mr. Jackson, whom I haven’t see since.. um… 1977.

I had an amazing year in his class learning all about Latin America from which he has a passion.  He taught me my first Spanish words (we learned a new one every day), and I still remember to this day things about Central and South America that I learned then — a testament to his great teaching.

Mr. Taniguchi, my awesome Biology teacher

I also saw a guy from my Kindergarten class and met his family (he didn’t remember me– lol), my Biology teacher from high school (he looks exactly the same), my graphics arts teacher, a 3rd grade teacher, and my Blue Birds troop leader and babysitter.  Our dear family friends I’ve known all my life and their children and grandchildren also showed up.  I feel really blessed have all their support.  Thank you, everyone!!

That evening we had another “Hawaiian Potluck” — only it was a dessert one due to time constraints!

Mrs. V's bread pudding (recipe is top secret!)

Amanda's Valentine cupcakes

Mrs. W's bundt cake -thank you for organizing the potluck!

The main reason we went to California this time of year (other than to get out of dreary NYC winter days) is because Jamie had a winter break and this past summer I won 4 all day passes to Legoland for two days that we had to use before they expired!  Thank you, Santa Barbara News Press for sponsoring the sweepstakes! We spent the latter part of the week there with my mom and met up with friends who have a son Jamie’s age.

Anubis Jamie near Pharaoh's Revenge

Legoland in California was the only one in the US until last year when Legoland Florida opened.  Legoland is divided into different sections based on different Lego themes.  Jamie rode his first real roller coaster, The Dragon, in Castle Hill and he got his first “driving license”.

Jamie driving on the wrong side of the road -- good thing those pedestrians aren't real!

This is how I felt after two days of Legoland.

We were lucky it was sunny and warm while we were at Legoland.  Can you believe it rained half the time we were in California?  I had to drive 55 mph on the 405 going down to Carlsbad because of pouring rain– a rare event on both counts!

Fortunately, we were able to stop and rest half way there in Irvine where we got to meet a blogger friend, Judy and her adorable daughter, Bebe E!!

playing peek a boo!

It was so great to meet her in person.  I found her via her her blog, Bebe Love Okazu and fell in love with her wonderful recipes and writing.  I especially love her Japanese recipes passed down from her mom.  The gyoza is one of my favorites.  This one too! It’s corny, but it felt like she was an old friend that I was visiting — not someone I met on the internet!  We didn’t even talk about cooking, there was so much to chat about.  And as it turned out, we discovered we actually have friends in common in Los Angeles.  Such a small world!

Bonding over technology.

She baked us yummy cookies for the rest of our trip.  Thanks, Judy!

With fantastic memories of our California visit fresh on our minds, we’re back in Brooklyn now. My only regret is that I didn’t get a photo of Jamie and my mom playing their new ukeleles she bought on a recent trip to Hawaii!  One night when I was working really late on the laptop while Denis and Jamie were sleeping, my mom kept me company and practiced her ukelele and serenaded me with Hawaiian songs and “Silent Night”.  

I’m SOOO happy to be car-less again, and living in a walking city.   It’s also a relief to be eating at home again and cooking!  I confess we indulged in our In-n-Out burger fixation, eating there three times while on the road.  Also diner food.  Mexican food… Denny’s.  It got bad.

I thought I’d conclude here with a recipe I recently made up that is decidedly non-take out, but tastes like it could be and is much healthier!  I took various recipes I found on line — from the most decadent to the least, and made a hybrid version.  Lots of prep work is required, but it comes together fast at the end.  I used vegetables my boys would eat, but it would be easy to swap these out for other ones.   The chicken is tender and flavorful and it’s not as oily as a restaurant version.  Also the batter is thinner (which my son prefers — he picks off thick crunchy batter!) and lighter.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Marinade:

2 tablespoons  soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

½ teaspoon cornstarch

1 lb. chicken tenders, cut into ½ inch pieces

Vegetables and pineapple

1 ½ cups canned pineapple pieces, drained reserving juice

¼ large onion, cut into bite sized wedges

1 carrot, sliced

½ medium or 1 small zucchini, sliced

½ can baby corn

1 green onion, sliced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon minced ginger

Sweet and Sour Sauce:

¼ cup reserved pineapple juice

1/3 cup rice vinegar

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ cup ketchup

½ teaspoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon water

Batter:

1/3 cup flour

1/3 cup cornstarch

½ teaspoon baking soda

2 egg whites

oil for frying

kosher salt to taste

1 tablespoon dry sherry, Chinese wine, or sake

1. Whisk 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, and ½ teaspoon cornstarch in a bowl.  Place chicken tenders in bowl and coat with marinade.  Refrigerate, covered for 30-60 minutes.
2. Prep veggies while chicken is marinating.  Place vegetables and pineapple in dishes for ease of stir frying later.
3. Prepare sauce.  Whisk together ¼ cup of reserved pineapple juice, 1/3 cup rice vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, and soy sauce in a sauce pan. Add cornstarch and water mixture and stir to combine. Bring to a boil then simmer on low until thickened.  Set aside and keep warm.
4. Heat about 2 teaspoons oil in wok or large skillet.  Saute onions, carrots.  Then add softer vegetables, like zucchini, baby corn, and green onions.  Add garlic and ginger and pinch of salt.  Saute.  Add pineapple and sauté.  Add sherry, about 2 tablespoons water, and kosher salt to taste.  Then cover and let steam cook until vegetables are soft.  Transfer to a dish and keep warm.
5. Mix flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and pinch of salt together in a shallow bowl.  Whisk egg whites in another bowl.
6. Remove chicken from marinade, dredge in flour mixture, then egg whites, then flour mixture again.  Set on plate.  Repeat with rest of chicken.
7. Clean wok or skillet and heat a tablespoon or two of oil.  Saute chicken pieces in oil until cooked through.  Drain on plate lined with paper towel.  Repeat with rest of chicken.
8. To serve, combine chicken and vegetables and coat with sweet and sour sauce.  Serve immediately.